March 23, 2012
Matthew 5:25 - "If your enemy is taking you to court, become friends quickly, before you go to court." Just like the passage before this one where it talks about leaving your offering at the altar if your brother and sister has something against you, I believe Jesus is talking about the aggressor here and not the innocent party. I have heard this taught, and I have believed the exact opposite of what I now believe Jesus to be saying. Have I only read these verses before through my eyes? Knowing I have not or would not purposely wrong others so I assumed Jesus was talking about a "victim" of someone having something against you or being a "victim" of an enemy who wanted to harm you for whatever reason?
We have an "enemy" who has taken us to court. Even in hindsight, there is not one single thing we could have done to "become friends quickly" or dissuade them from a course of action they were determined to take. Not one single thing. You cannot deter someone else's greed. You cannot put salve on someone who is seeking revenge. You cannot talk rationally with someone who is irrational. You cannot change a persons heart, actions, or evil intents. You cannot—and I do not believe that is what Jesus is saying in this passage or the verses before. Instead, I believe Jesus is talking once again about personal accountability. You cannot control another person but you can control yourself.
I don't believe Jesus is saying you should quickly go to the person who is falsely accusing you and is threatening (or actually taking you) to court and try to "fix" things yourself by becoming friends and that you should try to appease them in order to get them to stop their actions when you (and most likely they) know you are innocent of their charges. I believe Jesus is talking about the person initiating the legal action. This is about your actions of trying to take things in your hands. And you better be careful. Your actions may backfire. What you are trying to do to others may happen to you. If you have wronged others, there may be legitimate cause or reason for the law to be enforced upon you. I believe these verses are saying—Own up! Take responsibility for what you have done. Go! Make things right. Be willingly accountable for your actions. Confess. Repent. Turn. (I Chronicles 7:14)
Jesus' teachings follows the teachings of the Old Testament. This isn't something new. This is Christ calling for personal holiness and personal accountability.
Next Entry: Matthew 5:1–48 (Continued)
We have an "enemy" who has taken us to court. Even in hindsight, there is not one single thing we could have done to "become friends quickly" or dissuade them from a course of action they were determined to take. Not one single thing. You cannot deter someone else's greed. You cannot put salve on someone who is seeking revenge. You cannot talk rationally with someone who is irrational. You cannot change a persons heart, actions, or evil intents. You cannot—and I do not believe that is what Jesus is saying in this passage or the verses before. Instead, I believe Jesus is talking once again about personal accountability. You cannot control another person but you can control yourself.
I don't believe Jesus is saying you should quickly go to the person who is falsely accusing you and is threatening (or actually taking you) to court and try to "fix" things yourself by becoming friends and that you should try to appease them in order to get them to stop their actions when you (and most likely they) know you are innocent of their charges. I believe Jesus is talking about the person initiating the legal action. This is about your actions of trying to take things in your hands. And you better be careful. Your actions may backfire. What you are trying to do to others may happen to you. If you have wronged others, there may be legitimate cause or reason for the law to be enforced upon you. I believe these verses are saying—Own up! Take responsibility for what you have done. Go! Make things right. Be willingly accountable for your actions. Confess. Repent. Turn. (I Chronicles 7:14)
Jesus' teachings follows the teachings of the Old Testament. This isn't something new. This is Christ calling for personal holiness and personal accountability.
Next Entry: Matthew 5:1–48 (Continued)
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